Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski Lady Marauders Gia Adams (center) and Stella Yeskey are handed the championship trophy from principal Mike Cacciotti.

This weekend, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy’s girls basketball team will host Otto-Eldred in the first round of the PIAA Class 1A playoffs.

It will be the second time BG seniors Gia Adams and Stella Yeskey have stepped on the court against the Terrors in the state playoffs.

The first is the last time the Lady Marauders lost in the tournament.

“That was one of the largest crowds we had seen, coming from junior high,” Adams said. “That was the first big game where we got a lot of heckling from the stands that we weren’t used to. Coming into that environment as freshmen and losing — that was my sister (Bella’s) last game — so seeing her lose a chance at a state championship was rough. We have grown from there, and we knew we had to get into the gym and work harder.”

It was March 15, 2023 when Otto-Eldred topped Bishop Guilfoyle, 49-37, in the second round of the PIAA tournament at DuBois. Yeskey and Adams played as freshmen, but neither scored.

“I remember it felt huge. The crowd — the bleachers were filled — their student section was heckling us, and I was so nervous as a freshman,” Yeskey said.

Yeskey and Adams were just getting their feet wet, but BG coach Kristi Kaack saw them as building blocks for the Lady Marauders’ next chapter of greatness following a state championship in 2021 and missing the state playoffs for just the fourth time in school history in 2022.

“They came in as freshmen when we were looking to flip the page and start a new era after a really talented group (in 2021) and then losing Leah Homan (in 2022),” Kaack said. “They started at the bottom and built it back up for us. I think they have been leaders since they were freshmen, because they were thrown into that environment, and it has just come natural for both of them.”

Except for a couple stretches where she dealt with injuries, Yeskey has been part of Bishop Guilfoyle’s starting lineup since 2023, but Adams — who has also overcome some injuries along the way — has been in and out of the lineup. She’s currently coming off the bench and has provided a major spark almost immediately in many of her relief appearances this season.

“I’m going to accept the role I am given,” Adams said. “I’m going to do the best I can with it. My teammates adjust really well and are always supporting me and what I need to do with my role. When I go into the game, I know what I need to do, whether it’s defense or scoring and try to get the job done.”

Kaack really appreciates Adams’ character.

“Gia Adams is the definition of a true teammate,” Kaack said. “She will do whatever the team needs her to do. Honestly, I thought her offensive game was struggling a little bit. That’s why we mixed it up, and I think she’s been phenomenal since then. It would be easy to be deflated and not come in and work hard, and she did the opposite. I think she’s playing with more confidence now than she has all year.”

Adams also goes out of her way to make sure her teammates have their head in the right spot too.

“One thing about Gia is that she always keeps it light, no matter if I am going through a shooting slump or not having a good game,” Yeskey said. “I know I can always look to her to pull me back down to earth and tell me there’s going to be a next play and to get back on defense. She really keeps my mindset calm and grounded, and we laugh all the time.”

Once Adams gets on the court, she often is looking for Yeskey.

“Stella is literally the best person to be on the court with,” Adams said. “I know that if I lob the ball up as a 5-foot-3 point guard, she’s going to jump up and catch it. We are always laughing, and we make everything light. Without Stella, I wouldn’t be in the right frame of mind. She’s just my best friend in basketball.”

Even though the Lady Marauders have built up a ton of experience the last two seasons by winning back-to-back PIAA championships, BG still has several young players that are still improving and starts a pair of sophomores.

“This year, both Stella and I have taken on more of a leadership role,” Adams said. “We both really have come together this year, even in practices. We went from freshmen who were scared to say anything, and now we’re really vocal with the girls. I think that helps create a bond within the team, because they trust us, and we trust them.”

Yeskey reflects back on her time as a freshman to be a better leader as a senior.

“I think as a freshman, I looked for guidance from the upperclassmen,” Yeskey said. “I was starting as a freshman, and I didn’t want to step on people’s toes. I was nervous. I didn’t want to do anything wrong. This year, I have tried to be the one giving that guidance to the underclassmen and be the person they need to talk to if they need to talk about confidence or what play we’re running.”

Yeskey has been more aggressive this season, developing an outside shot and showcasing several solid post moves while being a rim protector defensively and handling the ball more often.

“I think she took a huge step this summer and this fall,” Kaack said. “She really committed to conditioning and some extra work in the weight room. That has allowed her to expand her game a lot more this year. She’s more comfortable handling the ball. She’s rebounding and starting the break for us. She’s played more dynamically this year.”

Saturday’s game against Otto-Eldred allows Adams and Yeskey to go full circle. This time, they will be the ones playing with the crowd on their side and confidence against a team with the nickname of the Terrors.

“I look back to that game, and the confidence level might not have been that high,” Kaack said. “We were a very young team. We had a couple seniors, but we were trying to put it all together. I look at (Adams and Yeskey) as two kids who have built this program over the last four years. They are really special kids who are the first ones out on the floor stretching, and when we voted for captains, it was almost unanimous. Their two names were on everyone’s ballot. I think that speaks to the way everyone on the team looks at them.”